Funny how some teams have the same name in different leagues. In the CFL (Canadian Football), the Lions are Vancouver.

/me has season tickets to the Falcons this year.

It was a good showing even though they lost to the Packers in overtime

I like how Madden uses Madden 2003 as a telestrator on some plays.

/me wishes he had a football smilie

The Pats are for real folks

Bitchy old man rant on:

NFL = No F*ckin Life I'd rather find a pick-up game in my neighborhood, make art, ride my mtn. bike, spend time with my wife, tinker in the garage, see a movie, listen to my son's band, take a nap, read a book... well just about anything other than watch those overpaid fools and commentators.

Millions of dollars to practice several hours a day and play a game on Sunday. Compare this to the salaries of educators, firemen, police officers... people who make a difference and it's ludicrous.

It amazes me how many sports figures, one the money goes away, turn to crime, abuse, and less than laudable lifestyles, yet while they can still catch a ball, they're treated like deities.

I've got a family member who's obsessed with football - pro, college, high-school, you name it. He neglects his family, his job and his responsibilities to both during the season. He participates in Fantasy football (as if 500+ real games aren't enough). He can't remember to pay his bills but can quote last years season rushing yardage for two dozen players. Needless to say, I think he's a fool.

So to answer the Question, Uhm, No I'm not into NFL football other than an interesting societal perversion of values. >

Old man rant off

Thank you for bearing with me.

Deifying sports figures goes back at least as far as Greco-Roman times. It probably has some Darwinian/Jungian survival archetype origin. The guy who could throw the rock farthest got the biggest portion of meat. It is probably as harmless to society as paying actors millions of dollars. Both sports figures and actors provide entertainment and neither are great role models.

Fools will be fools with or without football.

Rams, Chiefs Superbowl!

Go Raiders!!!!!

Dangeruss: They're not being paid millions of dollars to practice and play a game on Sunday. They're getting paid millions of dollars to entertain millions of people. You know, just like those actors in the movies you go to.

TasT: I like the way you think!

What if you were a AllPro NFL football player making mad money...more money than you will ever need. Would you consider yourself a fool?

Just a question.

I would just like to add, re: last night's game. YEAH PATS!!!!!

Yes, it IS indeed crazy the salary athletes are getting paid nowadays. And actors too. Tis the reason no one in his right mind can affort to go see a game and also the reason movies are now over $10. C-R-A-Z-Y. I've only been once to a sporting event (hockey) and it was my boss's ticket (to thank me). 150$ ticket. Did I say C-R-A-Z-Y!!!

But I still enjoy to watch it on TV once in a while. But I must say football is not my forte. I watched the finals of the US Open though! Wow, Sampras is a god!

But it does say a lot about a society that pays its entertainers more than its doctors or teacher. shame...

I've loved NFL football since I was 10 years old(since 1970) and I don't care how much the athletes get paid because I love the game and I'll always watch. AND I don't ignore my family nor do I sacrifice my morals and values just because I'm a sports fan. My Mama didn't raise no fool. Nobody's perfect. For instance take a look at "Actor, MOVIE Star" Robert Downey Jr.

Same thoughts here Jarget

paxx: You've got your economics backwards. That people pay the high ticket prices allows teams to pay higher salaries; the high salaries don't lead to high ticket prices. They can't charge more than the market would bear, and they'd be foolish to charge less (notwithstanding building longterm support).

Also, it's not true that society pays athletes more than doctors and teachers. It's not even close. The money spent on health and education dwarfs the money spent on athletics. And only the very best athletes make a ton of money, just like the very top educators and doctors. And the educators and doctors have MUCH longer careers.

I'm not saying pro athletes don't have it great, but I think they're often put in unfair comparisons.

Yeah, it does say alot about society. Welcome too capitalism.

Capitalism? Hum, I don't remember the chapter about sports athletes in my economics books.

Just 20 years ago, and that's not too long ago, athlete made a more normal salary. Still a lot, but nothing like the tens of millions they make today. Was the sport less interesting then when salaries were more reasonnable? Actually, it was more interesting.

Take basaball for example. There was one season in the 90's where the Montreal Expos weer almost certain to win the championship so much they were better than any other team. It was a once only chance for Montreal. Then, a couple of weeks before the end of the regular season, the millionaires decide to go on strike because they wanted yet more millions. The season was canceled. The following season all the good players left the team because they were asking for too much money. Montreal will never be able to affort the same budget as a lot of american cities. We are not as rich and never will be.
Anyway, let me tell you that baseball died that year in Montreal. From then on, nobody goes to that stadium anymore, the team still has no money and now the team is going to move in another city. Good riddance.
The Montreal people will never forget the year of the strike, where the spoiled millionaire betrayed us. Bye bye Expos! Go where ever and abuse somebody else's admiration.

You're continuing to show your ignorance on the subject matter, paxx. Baseball players did not go on strike for more money. They went on strike to prevent the owners from locking them out and imposing their own rules.

Media hype to the contrary, the MLB players have been steadily giving up rights ever since 1974, when they had total and absolute free agency. They make a lot of money, but it's still less than market value.

9/11 has just gotten sadder as the Great Johnny Unitas has passed away today

*sniffles!*
elvee is rite.. it is sad and we shouldn't let this happen again..

Tarkus - You have your facts backwards regarding MLB players prior to 1974. Before 1974 players had no rights whatsoever. Team owners basically owned the rights to their players for life.

That's why prior to that time, you could easily identify who played for what team, because a group of players would often stay together for their entire career.

In 1970, a St. Louis Cardinal player named Curt Flood sued MLB regarding this "reserve clause", and the case eventually went before the US Supreme Court. Flood lost the case, but it laid the groundwork for the players to rid themselves of the reserve clause shortly thereafter.

That's why prior to that time, you could easily identify who played for what team, because a group of players would often stay together for their entire career.

Uhhhh...scratch the last paragraph please.

The whole issue was mainly about the salary cap. Basketball had it, Football had it, but Baseball and Hockey players were fighting against it. The whole baseball strike revolved around that very issue. If that is not going on strike for more money, I wonder what is. Refusing a salary cap is crying that a few million dollars is not enough.

Oh and I did not get my econimics backwards the first time either. They charge you more because they have to pay the players more (and other expenses too of course).
Do you know how much it costs to go to a baseball game in Montreal? Tickets start at 5$ (it was 5$ also when baseball was at its peak in 1994). We don't have a rich team. Fans here will not pay 50$ per ticket to go watch a baseball game like they would say in Atlanta. The result is that Atlanta pays twice more money to they 7 most paid players than Montreal pays for the salaries for the whole team.

And, just for fun, here's a few facts about baseball:

- Average Baseball Salary is $2,300.000.00.
- The minimum wage for a professional baseball player is $200,000.00 Per Year.
- Over half of all major league baseball players make more than one million dollars per year.
- Alex Rodriguez makes $155,555.00 per game if he plays all 162 games.
- Alex Rodriguez makes $38,888.89 for every at bat if he batted four times per game for all 162 games.
- Tom Glavine makes over $200,000.00 per starting pitching assignment for the Atlanta Braves.
- The meal money per day for each player is $325.00 per day.
- The average cost to attend a baseball game at Turner Field in Atlanta, Ga. for a family of four is $286.00.
- Percentage of players who use steroids according to 1996 Most Valuable Player, Ken Caminati, 50%.
- Percentage of players who use steroids according to Kurt Schilling, last year CY Young award winner, 85%.
- Amount of testing for steroids allowed by the Major League Baseball Union -0-.
(source: http://www.major-league-baseball-strike.com)